1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system constituted by a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected by an interface such as an IEEE 1394 interface, an information processing apparatus connected to the system, and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
An interface such as an IEEE 1394 interface can simultaneously connect a plurality of devices such as a DV (Digital Video), DC (Digital Camera), host computer, scanner, and VTR, unlike an interface such as a centronics for one-to-one connection between a host and device, and realize a data communication network and the like by connecting a plurality of devices.
As for the IEEE 1394 interface, each node has a node unique ID to allow identifying each device. This ID is made up of 64 bits, upper 24 bits of which represent the manufacturer ID of a device assigned by the IEEE standard, and lower 40 bits of which can be freely set by the manufacturer. The node unique ID determines a specific ID for one device regardless of the manufacturer and model.
This node unique ID allows specifying a device in data communication in an IEEE 1394 network connected to a plurality of devices.
Display means and the like have been available which represent a plurality of devices in a network using such information and display device information in the network to manage the use of the network and improve the convenience.
Various devices are connected to this network, and many unspecified devices of different manufacturers can be connected. Some devices connected to a communication control bus allow additionally mounting/dismounting an optional device in order to improve the basic performance, expand the function, or change the device arrangement. Some devices can change the device arrangement by the modular structure. When the display means for presenting device information is adopted in an environment where many unspecified devices of different manufacturers are connected, device information such as the manufacturer name and model name of the device main body can be determined from the node unique ID and the like. However, it is difficult to grasp information about optional devices mountable on the device and information about actually connected optional devices.
Also, when the device is not connected to a network (one-to-one connection between the host and device), it is difficult for the user to grasp information about optional devices mountable on the device.
When the display means is adopted, it is hard to make a device displayed on the display match an actually connected device. That is, device information such as the manufacturer name and model name can be displayed by the node unique ID, but the user must specify the device from the manufacturer name and model name. It is therefore difficult to specify devices when a plurality of devices of the same manufacturer and the same model are connected. In some cases, it is hard for the user to determine the kind of device, e.g., whether the device is a printer or digital camera from only the manufacturer name and model name.
In the environment where a plurality of devices are connected, the user can know function information of each device as the device ID, but cannot know the function of a device which has an ID whose function is not known in advance. Further, the user can know only the individual function of each device based upon its ID, so cannot know a new function realized by combining a plurality of devices (e.g., the function of a copying machine by combining a scanner and printer).
Even when the relative connection relationship between devices in the network is displayed, the user must specify them while confirming the physical connection of the IEEE 1394 network with respect to the display contents.
This becomes more difficult when the network is wide and a target device is connected out of the user's sight.